Your guide to getting stronger

If you’ve never really lifted weights, picking up heavy pounds can be intimidating and scary. But you'll want to do it anyway, since lifting more than 10-pound dumbbells (for most women) builds metabolism-revving muscle, strong bones, and a toned body.

Should you not have a personal trainer who can show you around the weight room (though it’s not a bad idea), we tapped the affable and credentialed Rob Sulaver, owner of Bandana Training in New York, for a heavy-lifting tutorial.

“It’s tempting to blow through a huge number reps,” Sulaver says, “but grabbing something heavy and doing fewer reps, so the last two are super challenging, can really up your game…If you want to look your best, heavier resistance training is simply more effective."

Here are three easy exercises from Sulaver that double as an introduction to the weight room. Done correctly—look in the mirror to correct your form; it’s not vanity!—these moves are the building blocks for pretty much every heavy-lifting workout.

Goblet Squats

What you’ll need: One big dumbbell (shoot for 20 pounds or more since your legs are the primary focus here).

For this move that strengthens your quads and glutes and engages your biceps and core, you’ll hold a dumbbell at chest height. Keep your back straight and with control, squat down, pushing your butt back like you’re sitting in a chair. Think about spreading the floor apart with your feet so your knees open nice and wide. At the bottom, keep your chest "proud," facing the wall in front of you.

Can’t keep your heels on the ground? Tuck a padded gym mad under them to give you an inch or so of height, and it’ll help your flexibility. Do three sets of 10-15 reps. Bonus: Because so many big muscles are involved, you’ll notice there’s a cardio benefit to this movement, and it’ll prep you for carrying more weight.